Tag Archives: family time

Family Time at City of Dreams Manila

Posted in Personal Picks by

I did not realize that it has been 5 months since I last went to Manila. This is our first travel as a family of 4. Anna who is known for her opera singing a.k.a crying spell went to Manila for the first time at 2months  old. Thank God she was a good girl on the plane! 



We looked forward to this short break to spend time with family, especially with my sister-in-law, Samantha, who now resides in Australia. They are in the Philippines for a short visit and it is an opportuned time for us to introduce our new baby Anna.

The newest buzz in Manila is the opening of the  City of Dreams complex. We have been to City of Dreams in Macau and we enjoyed the entertainment it offers the family. Unlike the old days where casinos were just for gamblers, now it’s concept has evolved to cater to entertain the entire family. 

This facade is adding flare and glamour to Manila Bay. A complex of 6 hectares is operating a hotel, casino, shopping malls, and an array of restaurants and cafes. It also has an area specific for entertainment such as night clubs, shows, and even a Dream works amusement center for the kids to enjoy.

This investment is quite big and has the stamp of excellence just like the City of Dreams in Macau. There are shuttling of buses from airport to City of dreams.  I am very impressed with the architecture and the interiors. What was a planned lunch for the family became a 5 hour stay… Yet it was not enough! 



 Some restaurants have opened and it included a Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and continental cuisine. The family chose to eat at Erwin’s…the food served were burger, pizza, steaks, and salads.



After lunch we were given an opportunity to see the soft opening of the amusement center called Dream Play. Dreamworks characters are inspiring the themed center with rock climbing, slides and canopy walks, rides, 3D theater show, and even their own retaurants including ginger bread’s bakery. 



They were on dry run so not everything was opened. It was a look and see of what it could be. It was good fun especially for kids above 3ft! I would suggest it for 3 year old and above! 

What I loved about the place was how they considered every detail. Like providing a mothers lounge for breast feeding moms like me. I took our 2 month old Anna with us and having that mothers lounge helped me feed and change my infant while my toddler kept on playing! 




It is impossible not to return to this place because they make it a whole lot of fun for the entire family. I look forward to going back and discover more of what City of Dreams can offer.

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24 Months later

Posted in Insights by

The Lord has been so good to us and really the last 24 months has been a blessing. Our home is filled with joy. Also having Joshua in our lives has brought us to a journey of many emotions — anxiety and worry especially when the baby would get sick; anger when my husband and I would disagree on parenting styles; bliss when you catch your baby’s milestones; agape love when you get long hugs and wet kisses from our little one; and satisfying joy when our little guy says “amen” after we pray… What a privilege it is to go through this journey.

For his second birthday, we decided to do a small get together of about 8 kids. At 2 years old, our little Joshua is more aware of his surroundings. I did not want him to be overwhelmed with so many people and not really enjoy his own birthday party. So, we decided to keep it small.

I did the rounds of ordering his cake, getting balloons, preparing loot bags, planning games, and getting the menu for his afternoon party. I was getting excited for his afternoon party. However, 3 days before his birthday he started to get fever. Though he was active, it’s not a good sign to have fever. We brought him to the pediatrician after 2 days of his fever, and we discovered he had some respiratory infection. This meant he needed to be medicated and to rest. To make the long story short, we had to cancel his party because we did not want any other kid to get his infection. 😦

So, mommy had to make a different plan… Joshua enjoys watching surprise eggs on YouTube. So this time around we prepared him 24 surprise eggs where some surprise item was inside the plastic eggs.

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/2ca/46462652/files/2014/12/img_0540.jpg When Joshua woke up we led him to our room and showed him the surprise eggs. Yup, he was so surprised to see it live!

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/2ca/46462652/files/2014/12/img_0554.jpg He loved the eggs so much, we were repackaging the items back in the plastic eggs as he continued to open them again and again. It was hilarious but the gift was such a hit! Then we still prepped his afternoon surprise which was for him to blow his candles on the Pocoyo cake (made by Confections by Liezl). Joshua was so cute, because when he saw what we prepared for him, he started to dance! He did not only blow the candle, he even went straight for Ellie (the pink elephant).

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/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/2ca/46462652/files/2014/12/img_0626.jpg I thank the Lord that despite our failed plans, Joshua nonetheless made us feel he had an awesome birthday. Our prayer is that our son continues to grow in wisdom, stature, knowledge and love for Jesus. Everything else will follow if God is at the center.

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First Hair Cut

My little guy had very cute curls that were growing well over his head. We were hoping we can make him look like a surfer with those nice long waves… Well it was not until his daddy decided, it was time to get a haircut. Joshua’s very first hair cut was at 14 months old.

Little boys need their fathers to introduce something new, like one’s first barber experience. Better yet, if the barber is your dad. It makes a huge difference! First, there is that trust. Second, there is that comfort of doing this right out of your own bathroom. Third, you get instant encouragement from both mom and dad about the new look!

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The sound of the clippers and its vibration can be pretty scary. Good thing daddy was demonstrating the barber cut on his head, and it made Joshua unafraid of the clippers.

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In a couple of minutes, his head has been evened out and a good 2 -3 inches of hair has been cleared.

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A full body shower was the best way to rinse off any hair left. This was one of the perks of doing this at home! The best perk is that its done with lots of love and is absolutely FREE!!! The new look made my baby look younger and also fresher. Thank you daddy Steve!!!

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